On The Bloody, Lovely Run
by ZombieVampireAuthor
Summary: Voldemort is hunting Harry down as he travels to a safe house across the magical state. Draco, his old enemy now his partner, is there to help him. Soon they're past the line of friends, but is there enough room for love when you're running for your life?
1. Start at the Bloody bang of the gun

"_You will have a partner to help you travel, Harry." Dumbledore had said. His white beard wiggled like a rippling wave as he turned and waved his hand to motion the person inside. Harry's eyes winded at the sight of bleach blonde hair and deep, never-ending grey eyes. "Draco Malfoy has left the dark side. Narcissa sent him to me and therefore, he will help you complete this mission."_

_Harry's forest green eyes matched Draco's drowning grey ones with a certain, odd connection as Dumbledore said, "Now, You two…work well together…"_

That was yesterday, Harry realized as he walked through the massive crowd. They were in the middle of a Town Square. What town, they weren't sure. All they knew was that they were allowed to use magic, they weren't suppose to talk to anyone unless they said a specific password to them first, and they were to remain out of sight. The place was packed, the old red bricks scrapping under everyone's feet as they were pushed and squeezed along the road. Harry glanced to the boy beside him.

Draco Malfoy… The Slytherin boy that caught his attention the first day of Hogwarts. He was rude, but Harry saw right through him. He was small in strength, large in pride, and competent with his ego. His eyes were tinted dark, as if to block anyone from seeing the real him. His hair was light, bouncing as he walked and loosely falling in his eyes so he could slyly smooth it back. Harry silently admired him. He was surprised at the fact that his enemy was now his helper. He would've instantly assumed that Draco lied, that this was actually a mission to lead Harry right to the Death Eaters, but the fact that Dumbledore had ordered him to go with Harry was enough to make Harry trust him. He didn't want to hate Draco, but he was still a little sore towards him after all his family had put him through.

The crowd was loud, but the boys were silent. They hadn't said a word to each other ever since they left. They had been sent to the middle of some large woods by a spell from Dumbledore himself and they immediately started walking. They silently led the other until they found a road. They stayed hidden in the trees until they hit the town. They had been walking for so long; they left at the break of dawn and now it was late afternoon. Harry's feet were sore and he bet Draco's were, too by the way he had slowed down their pace.

Harry gave him another glance, but when he caught Draco's gaze taking a peek as well, he quickly looked away. He had always felt different towards Draco. He never knew what to call it. Not hate, but not quite admiration either. He wanted to be closer to him; he got that much. He felt himself being drawn closer to the Slytherin boy. He always saw Draco as a scared child trapped in a dark box and Harry was the only one who could release him from it. He wanted to. He wanted to help him so bad, but he didn't understand how. Draco was so thick shelled, so heavily guarded. He never let anyone get personally close, not to mention physically close.

Suddenly Draco's hand snatched Harry's. He stopped dead in his tracks, pulling the brunette to a stop as well. Harry felt his breath choke up in his throat. Draco's long slender fingers were wrapped tight around his palm, squeezing in such a tight grip that he could feel his quickened heart beat throbbing in his fingers. At first Harry was confused, straight up dumbfounded with a blank mind. Draco….was holding his hand? Then he was snapped back to reality.

"Death Eaters," Draco muttered under his breath, loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

Harry flinched. His eyes darted around the crowd intensely until he spotted the dark cloaks among the cheery, happy villagers. His heart jumped harshly in his chest. Immediately Draco jumped to the right, forcing the brunette to follow.

"This way!"

He shoved people out of the way, sliding past the tall adults with ease and pulling Harry behind him. They ran for the line of stores resting on the sides of the road. From wand shops to pet stores, they passed crowded doors until they reached a space in between. A long alleyway appeared and the two boys slipped easily inside it. They slowed their pace, but only by a bit. They sped walk down the dim lighted trail, passing other suspicious looking people.

"Draco, where are we-"

"Shut up." He snapped instantly, wildly turning his head back and forth as he passed other turns and alleys.

"But we're-"

"I said be quiet!"

Before Harry could question again, he heard a distant shout. He whirled his head back only to see a bright flash of blue that blinded him instantly. A tight arm snapped around his neck and shoved him down. He hit the cold, unforgiving cement harshly, bouncing and smacking his head painfully. Draco was on top of him, holding him down. Above his white hair, the lightening bolt of blue power went crackling by them and into the nearest wall. If he were alone, that spell could've killed him.

His head throbbed harshly, heating up as the soreness set in, but he had no time to relax. Draco stumbled to his knees and forced Harry up. "Move!" He ordered and snapped out his wand from his back pocket. Down the alleyway, coming from the crowd of the town square, was a Death Eater. Draco returned the spell as quick as he could, screaming and waving his entire arm into the spell. The Death Eater easily snapped it aside with a flick of his wrist and charged forward.

Harry got to his feet and grabbed his wand. He fixed his tilted glasses and raised his arm to fight back. Yet, Draco shoved him into the nearest wall and did the spell again. He aimed higher and hit the wall specifically above the man in black. The bricks fell upon him, making him jump back, stalling him. Then he dragged Harry around the nearest corner, sprinting as fast as their legs would take them. Once again they were hand-in-hand, dragging the other as they turned around another corner and fell deeper into the maze of back roads. When they got lost in a short alleyway, they stopped for a minute, panting, their minds rushing.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, out of breath.

Draco shook his head. "I don't know…. We should be behind…Cottage Drive… that stupid… spell book store… but…"

He moved forward, pulling Harry behind him and turning left on the four-way section. Instantly, they spotted the following Death Eater, practically face to face. He was fast and casted a spell almost immediately, as if he were standing there waiting for them to peek around the corner. Draco jumped back, shoving Harry behind him, and had enough time to block the bolt of power. Harry felt Draco's body jerk back painfully, ricocheting from the blow and obviously getting hurt from it. Yet, it only made him angrier and the moment it hit him, he jumped forward and snapped the spell back at him. The man was recovering from the spell, off balanced slightly and unfocused. The spell smacked him hard in the chest, knocking him harshly off his feet and into the air. Harry watched him fly, slap onto the brick wall hard enough to bring some bricks down with him, and crash roughly to the floor. He was motionless after that and covered with dust and bricks.

Draco held his wand-clenching hand onto his now sore chest and gripped Harry's hand tighter. "C'mon," he muttered in a tight voice and dragged him back to the square.

It wasn't long until they found the right road. Dumbledore had given them a list of places safe enough and magic-protected for them to stay in that weren't too obvious and good enough for them to sleep easily. The first one was a tiny cottage with an old couple running it. They said the password the moment they saw the boys and led them to their room. The wooden hallways were lit with never-melting candles, giving the long walkways a warm, comforting glow. The rooms weren't bad either, a spacious room big enough for two with two beds, one large closet, a bathroom, and a food cabinet.

Harry relaxed when the old lady shut the door, leaving them to rest since night was falling. Yet, he felt a little uneasy with Draco in the room. He faced the large room, noticing how the modern furniture gave the room an outdoorsy, settling look. Everything seemed hand-made and lovely. Draco had moved to the bed on the right and sat down with a sigh.

"H-How's your chest?" Harry asked shyly. He still wasn't used to having Draco as his partner on this mission.

Draco's dark gray eyes gave him a sharp glance, then looked away tiredly. "Fine. I didn't get hit."

Harry squinted. "Yes, you did. On that last blow-"

"I'm _fine_." He said, his tone becoming quickly strict.

_Stubborn,_ Harry thought. _I should've expected that._ "Fine," he muttered back and moved to the bed on the left. He kicked off his shoes as Draco had done and ripped off his sweater. He undid his tie and started to unbutton his shirt. _Wait. _He stopped. Draco was still there. The only other person he had changed in front of was Ron and that was because he was his best friends; they were practically brothers. Draco was his enemy. _So?_ He told himself casually to try and relax his stiffening nerves. _He's just another guy. It's nothing he's never seen before anyway._

He ripped off his shirt, exposing himself and his lean torso. He went to remove his pants when he felt the eyes on him. No way, that was just his imagination. Still he nervously ran his hand across the back of his neck and peeked his eyes back. Draco _was_ staring at him-the dark eyes burning holes in his very skin. Harry flinched, but couldn't turn away from him.

"You weren't hurt, were you?" Draco asked the moment he got caught staring.

"N…N-No…" Harry faced him, showing him his unharmed body. "I'm all right…" He nervously pretended to fold his shirt so he didn't look like a fool standing there half-naked.

Draco looked him up and down silently, his eyes crawling over his skin like some fast spreading disease. Then he closed his pale eyes and turned away. "Good." Harry went to turn away again, but was stopped once more. "You shouldn't get completely undressed," Draco told him with a bit of attitude in his voice. "If anything happens in the morning, we might have to leave immediately and I don't think everyone would be happy if you were running through the streets in your underwear."

Harry forced himself to turn away now. He felt his face growing warm with embarrassment and he tossed his shirt irritated to the floor. "Right," he said with tight lips. He flipped up the covers and slipped in quietly, snuggling in tiredly. It felt good to lie down after walking for so long and he felt his nerves slightly loosen up. A nervous thought returned to his mind, however, and he was uneasy again. He already made a fool of himself. Was saying goodnight childish, too? Soon he decided that he was too tired to care and that Draco wasn't the type to tease.

Harry spoke quietly over his shoulder, "G'night."

"Yeah…" He heard from the other bed.

Harry's eyebrows pinched together from confusion and he slipped off his glasses. He placed them on the side table by his bed next to the candle which he blew out with a shaky breath. He felt so… off. Today wasn't his day. He had been sent off in the middle of God-knows-where with his old enemy that he thought, and probably still does, hated him. They were on the run from Death Eaters, trying to get to some place they don't even know about. The list of places they had and spells that were safe to use were all organized specifically, as if they had been put on some game board and Dumbledore knew exactly what was going to happen so he told them the answers so that they would be prepared. Harry didn't understand it. Why him? Why here? Why now? Why _Draco_?

He was still thinking of Draco when he drifted off to sleep. So when he awoke and the sun was bright in his eyes, he was confused on where he was and what he was doing. He was curled under the silky blankets and his body was heavy, almost numb. He felt like he didn't get any sleep at all even though he got a couple hours. Suddenly something heavy and thick smacked him in the hip, making him jolt and gasp.

"What the…" He snatched his glasses and watched Draco walk by him. "What are you…"

Draco was up and dressed again with his bag slinging off his shoulder. "Get up." He said, obviously irritated by something. "We got to go."

Harry came back to reality by rubbing his face and climbing out of bed. _Right,_ he thought stupidly. _We're on the run… Draco's my partner… _He cleared his throat and started to put his shirt back on. "Are they here?" He asked, referring to the Death Eaters chasing them.

"No, but they are close."

"How can you tell?"

"I can just feel it. Hurry up!"

Harry finished tying his shoes and followed Draco out of the room, quickly disappearing down the hall and to the front door. "Wait," he said when Draco grabbed the door handle. "Shouldn't we thank them?"

Draco scoffed, almost laughing. "As if."

Right, Harry realized. To Draco, those people were honored for having them as guests. They should by thanking the boys, not the other way around. Harry rolled his eyes, but was instantly blinded by the bright morning light. The brightness caused them to groan and blink, their eyes slowly focusing back on the poor village. The streets were still crowded slightly from the morning rush, but the street in which direction they needed to go was entirely empty. They would stick out and get shot the first moment they were seen. They stood there dumbfounded for a minute on what to do.

Harry sighed. "What do we do?"

"Maybe we can hitch a ride from a market truck."

"They don't leave till noon! We don't have time."

Draco wrapped his arms around the back of his head and groaned. "Son of a-" He kicked a nearby rock and searched around for an answer.

Harry looked, too, and spotted something unusual. A train of kids, young boys, about the age of ten or eleven, was lined up in two rows and were marching like an army. They were wearing uniforms, obviously going to school. An adult led them with his back to the kids, not paying any attention to their shoving and goofing around. Harry quickly reached back and grabbed Draco without looking.

"Give me the map…" He said in a low voice, completely out of it.

"What?" Harry patted his shoulder blindly, until Draco smacked his hand away.

"I said, the map!" He finally turned and snatched Draco's bag, digging into the side pocket until he found the large magical map. He scanned the town, zooming in on the map and searched the tall buildings. "School, school… There. Boarding School for magical young boys…." He glanced up at the marching kids, seeing them still in close range. He glanced frantically back at the map and the kids, noticing how the school was all the way across town… in the direction they needed to go to.

"What the hell are you mumbling about?" Draco asked, but Harry didn't respond.

He whipped out his wand and pointed it to the ground slyly. He muttered a spell that cracked the old red bricks instantly. The crack traveled silently across the road, passed under everyone's feet, skipped the boy's stomps, and finally reached the teacher. A huge crack snapped open out of nowhere, trapping the man's foot the moment he stepped in it. He instantly stopped the boys and struggled, pulling at his foot and trying to yank it out.

"What are you _doing_-"

Harry grabbed Draco's collar and dragged him away. He shoved him into the nearest alleyway and slammed him against the wall. Draco was an easily irritated boy, but being pushed around by someone like Harry was truly infuriating. "You got some nerve-"

"Shut up." Harry said boldly while putting the map in his own bag. He gave the students one last look around the corner and then waved his wand above their heads. A rainfall of magic came falling gently down, coating them in a glowing ball of power. It tingled their skin, made them tense up, and squint. They couldn't see anything for a minute and all they could feel was the pressure around them. They felt like their cores were being squeezed and constricted down until they were being crumpled down into a ball. A cold wind swirled around them as well, tearing off clothes for merely a second. In a snap it all faded and washed down to the floor like nothing had happened, but something did.

They were shorter, almost half the height they originally were and they looked younger. They looked like they did when they were ten years old, almost like they did the first year they joined Hogwarts. Draco's skin had a bit more color, his eyes still a dark pale, and his hair was a silver tinted color and slicked back smoothly. Harry 's hair was slightly darker, too, and shorter, waving above his ears in an adorable way. His glasses were smaller and his vision seemed worse without them. The two boys gazed at each other in confusion then looked down to their bodies. They were both dressed in those school uniforms, blue shirts and pants with slants of white going across their chests and backs. It almost looked like sailor suits. They looked -and _felt_- ridiculous.

"What the…" Draco growled to him. "What the bloody hell did you do?"

Harry snatched his hand, surprising him, and started to drag him away again. "No time. Run!"

They charged around the corner and sprinted to the line of kids, quickly blending in with the students. Draco understood the plan when he saw the school kids and stopped complaining. They came to the end of the line right as the teacher got his foot free. He ordered them to stop giggling and that was the only time he turned around. Draco and Harry relaxed and marched with them, heading slowly across town. They glanced nervously through the fading crowd and spotted a Death Eater or two hiding in the shadows. They slipped right by them without receiving a second glance. The group moved to the sidewalk and continued to goof around, laughing and saying insults, shoving and kicking, being young boys. The silence Harry and Draco held was nerve wracking. They were completely in the open, somewhat looking like themselves, and could be killed at any second.

Once, a man in black came from an alleyway. The group walked right by him, giving him glances and making funny faces at the Death Eater. Harry would've called them crazy, but his breath was stolen from him instantly. The man was staring at him, his dark eyes burning holes into the top of Harry's head. Harry quickly shut his eyes, held his breath, and walked forward, passing the man like nothing was wrong. His heart was racing.

_Any second now,_ he thought. _Any second he's going to recognize me and shoot me. He's going to kill me right now, right here in the street. Any second now, I'm going to die. Any second-_

Draco smacked Harry's arm and made him open his eyes. Draco, looking like a young fool, stuck his tongue out to the Death Eater then faked a laugh to Harry. He was acting like a child because they looked like one. Duh, they needed to blend in. The brunette finally breathed when they passed him, unharmed and unnoticed. He let out a deep breath, panting to breathe and grabbed his tight chest.

"Relax," Draco whispered as they started to cross the street. "They don't recognize us." Harry swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry, and nodded silently. "How long does this spell last?"

"A-A… Uh, about an h-hour…"

"Then we're fine." He smacked Harry's arm again. "Stop being such a pussy, Potter."

Harry scowled. _There he goes. Ladies and gentlemen, Draco Malfoy has returned. _He straightened his back and looked ahead again, feeling more confident from his anger.

The rest of the walk went smoothly. The kids got rowdier and louder the farther they went and by the time they reached the school at the end of town, they were a bunch of animals. As they started to slow down to go inside, Draco and Harry slyly slipped away, sprinting to the side of the school to hide. As they rested against the wall to catch their breath, they realized that they had out-smarted the Death Eaters.

"Nice thinking, Potter," Draco said in pants. "So you do know how to jump on your toes out of nowhere, huh. Good, that means you have a chance at staying alive."

"Yeah…" Harry panted.

Draco smacked his arm to get his attention and pushed off the wall. "So don't lag behind, okay?" Harry rolled his eyes, but followed. This person could never lighten up, could he?

There was a long trail they had to cross to get to the next town. It wasn't far, but by foot it seemed to take forever to get there. The spell wore off shortly after they left, giving them a tight, stretching feeling with another blinding light. They were silent for the most part, excluding insults when someone tripped or coughed. Harry finally pulled out the map and tracked where they were. He marked the spots mentally of where he saw the last few Death Eaters and wondered if any had followed them.

"Do you think we lost 'em?" He heard himself say. He looked to Draco, surprised that he was speaking so causally to him.

Draco shrugged. "Probably not. We got by them, but once they realize we're no longer hiding, they are gonna jump over here. We probably only got another hour or two so we better find the house and stay there."

Harry nodded. "Yeah… But how long do you think-"

He was interrupted by a noise. One that surprised them both, but quickly showed no threat. It was a slight rumbling noise that made Harry twitch. His stomach was growling. He quickly grabbed it and stopped as Draco did. Well, that was embarrassing. Draco groaned and quickly dug into his bag.

"Here," he said, practically throwing something at him. It was a granola bar. "Eat it. We won't have time to stop for food and once we get into the safe house we won't be able to leave, so eat it now."

Harry felt a little undermined then. He nodded and muttered a, "Thank you," before eating the bar. The taste was odd since it was also a power bar, but he ate it anyway for the energy. The fact that he was hungry and Draco wasn't got Harry thinking. When they were fighting, Draco had stood in front of him. When Harry panicked, Draco took control of the situation. When he was confused, Draco solved the problem for him. Draco seemed more than a bodyguard than a partner. _No,_ Harry thought as he ate. _He was just being a tough guy, fighting and staying superior than me._ As he pushed the worry aside, he still felt uneasy about it all. Even when he finished the bar, his stomach felt empty and not from food.

They found the town easily, having to pass through a large opened gate with two buff men guarding it. They didn't question them and merely let them pass silently. The moment they walked into the town, two people dressed in long red cloaks started to approach them. Draco snapped his arm out, stopped Harry instantly, and started to pull out his wand.

The men raised their hands defensively. "Auxilium," they said loudly and the boys relaxed. That was the password, a Latin word that meant "help". Draco dropped his arm and put his wand away, letting Harry walk first so he could walk behind him. The men led them to a space between two shops, too skinny to be called an alleyway. There was a large, thick crack in the right wall. They both pulled out their wands and tapped the crack three times. It started to glow and the crack quickly expanded. It formed into the shape of a door and the cement morphed into wood. A frame evolved and the door popped out, the golden door handle last to appear. The men stood on either side and opened the door inward for them.

"Dumbledore assigned this room specifically for you two," the men explained in one voice. "Once it shuts, it won't open until dawn so use your time wisely."

"We know," Draco snapped and shoved Harry inside.

The room was small, damp cement walls with peeling wallpaper. There were two single beds, short enough for children and close enough to be once large bed. There was a door on the right that led to the bathroom and the only light in the room was on the right side of the bed. There were no windows or cupboard like their last room. This one was literally a dump, but clearly protected by the secret opening they had witnessed to get into the room.

Harry watched Draco move to the right side of the bed, drop his bag, and kick off his shoes. He seemed like a robot stuck in a routine. Harry was still nervous and felt like an amateur compared to professional Draco. He slipped off his shoes and dropped his bag as well, sitting down on his creaky bed. He was exhausted as well as confused and took off his shirt without another word. Draco, however, seemed unprepared to go to bed. He was fumbling with something that Harry couldn't see. Then Harry realized it was still early in the afternoon. He had merely forgotten from the lack of daylight. Maybe he shouldn't go to bed.

"Wh-Where do we have to go next?" Harry asked in an attempt to start a conversation.

"A city if I remember clearly." He suddenly snapped, as if he forgot to be mean to him. "You have the map, idiot."

"Right." Harry sighed and pulled it out, spreading it out on the bed. Draco's grey eyes followed Harry's finger as it slid across the paper. "We're here… and the next place has to be in…"

"Middletown," Draco said quietly in a calm tone. "The safe house is called Middletown Inn so that should be obvious enough."

"Found it." Harry tapped the map. "A few miles Northeast from the side of this town." Draco watched Harry rub his eyes silently and put the map away.

They were quiet for a while, sharing granola bars and messing with their clothes and other supplies. Harry slowly searched through his bag since there was nothing else to do. He had the map, the Invisibility Cloak, a pouch of money, the list of spells and safe houses, other minor supplies. Then he came across a folded piece of paper. He lifted it out of the bag and flipped it open to see his friends. Ron had his arm around Harry's shoulder while Hermione jumped in front of them. He remembered the moment. It was the day they graduated from their fourth year at Hogwarts and they were partying in Hagrid's cottage. He smiled at it, missing his friends and hoping they were safe.

Draco noticed Harry's scuffling had stopped and he looked over to see him staring at the picture. The solemn, upset look in his eyes made him seem so lost, so out of place, so **guilty**. "Where are they?"

Harry was surprised by the question and gave Draco a glance. "Um… At Hogwarts. I asked Dumbledore… to hide them… so they wouldn't get hurt… because of me." He mumbled the last words and shoved the picture away.

Even though he was seen as a cold-hearted and uncaring guy, Draco still understood feelings as much as the next guy. He saw right through Harry and he couldn't just sit there watching him suffer. "They're safe, right?" He scoffed and turned away from the brunette. "Which means you have nothing to worry about. 'You-know-who' won't want them. He's after us so you have nothing to worry about."

Harry stared at Draco as he talked and turned away sadly when he was finished. "Yeah…" He ripped off his glasses and pinched his eyes tight. _But it's still all my fault. The reason they have to be locked up is because of me. The reason my parents were killed was because of me. If anything were to happen to them, it would be because of me… and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it!_

When Draco looked back, Harry's tiny hand was clenching onto the bed sheets as if his life depended on it. He was trembling slightly with his head hung low and eyes shut tight. Draco ran his fingers through his snow white hair and groaned. "Go to sleep," he said to Harry without looking at him. "We need the rest."

"Yeah." Harry repeated and laid down, suddenly feeling a lot more exhausted. He slid under the covers and set his glasses on the floor by his bag since he had no table. He sunk his head in the pillow, cloaking himself in darkness as fast as possible to fall asleep soon. As much as he wanted to quick thinking and merely sleep, to relax and forget all that was happening, he couldn't. Too many things rushed through his head, like his friends, Dumbledore, the Death Eaters, Draco. Of course it had to be him. Voldemort wanted him dead and he wanted him **now**. Really, and all he could was run. Run until he was safe and strong enough to fight him. How long would that last? How far would they get? How many people would be killed in the process? Because of him…

Before he knew it, twenty minutes had passed and nothing had changed. There was still the dim light from Draco's bedside candle and he had heard no movement ever since he laid down. Harry slowly rolled over and spotted a blurry Draco leaning against his headboard, one leg bent on the bed and the other planted firmly against the ground, ready to run if he needed to. He was playing with his wand and was glancing back at it and the door.

"Why aren't you asleep?" Harry asked in a hushed voice.

Draco didn't even glance at him. "Why aren't you?" He mocked roughly. "Lay back down."

Harry propped himself up on his elbow, facing him slightly. "You need to rest, too. Plus, you're injured, so you lay down-"

"I said I'm fine. I'll go to sleep when I feel like it. So shut your mouth and go to sleep."

Harry watched his gray eyes give him a sharp glance, then look back to his slick wand. Harry scoffed in exhaustion and irritation and laid back down. "Whatever," he said in a sigh and put his back to him once more.

He relaxed quicker this time, his half naked body sinking into the mattress and his nerves calming down. The blackness surrounded him faster as well, slowly coiling around him like a vile snake. It started at his ankles, taking its sweet time wrapping around his feet until they were tied tight together. Then it crawled up his long legs, then around his hips, wrapped completely around his chest and finally at his neck. It was surprisingly comforting, the darkness. It was warm and smooth like a nice blanket that was slowly pulling him away from reality. It grew closer, wrapped around him tighter, squeezed him harder-**too hard**. He started to choke. It snapped around his neck like a fierce rope, constricting his throat until no air could pass through. The worst thing was that Harry couldn't move. He was completely paralyzed by the darkness, unable to fight back or even struggle. He felt himself dying, the air being completely forced out of his body, his lungs burning for it back.

Finally his eyes snapped open. He was laying on the ground in some field. His head was turned to the side and he was being choked by someone. Someone with stubby hands, but a strong grip. He couldn't see their face, but he didn't need to to know they were obviously from the Dark Side. His vision started to go disoriented from his lack of air, but he fought it. Somehow he got the strength to stay awake, to stay alive. In the muddy grass, he spotted a dark figure. It was laying on the ground nearby, body sprawled out like a tossed doll of some sort. As his focus grew vague and straight wearily, he recognized the red hair. There was blood on his chest… and he was motionless. Ron was laying dead on the ground. Harry's eyes widened. That's when he spotted other bodies spread out all around him.

Somewhat above his head but still in good view was a small body. Its beautiful, but bloody legs were curved slightly as the person laid on their side completely still. There was a pool of blood under the dark hair and Harry saw Hermione's face in its dark reflection. Behind her was Neville, lying on his stomach, eyes open and blood coming from his mouth. Then there was Luna under him, sprawled out like a strange animal with her white hair stained red from the gash on her head. People everywhere, people he knew, people he loved, they all died because of him. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall were dead, pierced by a vile spell and to never return.

The sight made him give up on fighting. He had caused all of it, all of their pain and suffering. He knew just by looking at their bodies that they were killed by trying to help him. When he was already dying… There was nothing no one could do, nothing he could do. The hands squeezed tighter and Harry felt his heart beat slowly decrease in its numbers. He would stop breathing entirely soon. Then his eyes caught on something he never thought he'd see. Directly parallel to him, lying on his back without a scratch, was Draco. He seemed perfectly fine, but Harry knew he was dead. He was closest to him, eyes closed and utterly still. Harry suddenly felt even more weak. He felt the tears overflow from his eyes and drip down his dirt covered cheeks.

The grass crunched nearby and made his eyes lift up. In the dark sky that was glowing viciously from flames nearby, he saw a thin face. One that was white and pasty with deep, dark eyes that looked right into your soul. He had two slits for a nose and dry lips that spoke harshly and hoarsely. He didn't need to speak because his presence was frightening enough. Harry watched as the man's wand was raised in that awkward lifting motion and slowly pointed at him. Voldemort had killed everyone. He had killed his parents, his friends and now he was going to kill him.

With a shout, he snapped the power straight at him, about to pierce him straight between the eyes, and finally kill him. Harry felt it hit him, the jolt echoing through his body hard enough to make him jerk back. Yet, instead of pain, he felt a sudden rush fly at him. He opened his eyes again and the darkness was around him. Someone was shouting-no, it was hushed, a fierce tone whispering at him, ordering him to do something. Was he dead? No, he felt himself breathing. Hands were on him, holding his shoulders, trying to brace him. Immediately, Harry smacked them away, thinking they were the hands that were trying to choke him. His mind went blank and all he could think of was that he was dying and he was unconsciously fighting it.

The hands slapped at him, making him cease from struggling and grabbed his arms tight to hold them down. "Harry!" He finally heard. He recognized the voice, the strict but settling tone. He opened his eyes wider, but everything was blurry from his loss of sight and the blackness around him. There was a slight ray of moonlight from somewhere that allowed him to see certain things. He saw the person in front of him, tall, lean, and light hair, hair that resembled snow in this pale light. The slender hands snatched him and drew him closer. "Harry, it's me!"

Harry felt something warm and wet hit his face. It surprised him and made him flinch and shake his head, but only more followed. He blinked and felt the warm liquid roll down his cheeks and neck. He was crying, uncontrollably. He hiccupped and sobbed weakly, breaking down before he could control it. He felt himself shaking, trembling hard under the warm hands upon his bare skin. His fingers felt cloth and recognized the Slytherin clothing. He snatched them desperately and dropped his head as he clutched to the boy before him.

"Relax," the soft voice said and pulled him closer. The warm arms slipped around him, the thin lips shushing him as he fell to pieces. "You were screaming. It was just a nightmare. You're all right."

Harry tried to say something-anything, but what could he say? He was frightened out of his mind. He still felt choked from his breathing, he thought all of his friends were dead, and now he was crying in front of his enemy. No, that wasn't right. Draco wasn't his enemy anymore. He was his partner, there to accompany him along the trip so he wasn't alone on this. Out of all the things to protect him from, it was his own mind. Harry felt so weak and then, as he settled down, Draco's grasp didn't seem so distance. He could feel his warmth from his unbuttoned shirt, feel his slight breathing hushing in his ear to calm him down. His hands were even rubbing the back of his shoulder and his side in an attempt to soothe him. His tense muscles relaxed and he gave in to the darkness with ease this time, feeling more powerful and protected.

He allowed Draco to lay him down and cover him back up with his thick cotton blankets. Yet, Harry refused to let go of his shirt. For some reason he didn't want to let go-he couldn't let go. It was as if he released him he would return to the nightmare and officially die. Draco didn't leave. He sat by his side as close as possible and hovered over him. Harry's pants settled down into shaky, uneven breaths that were slowly calming down. His whole body trembled with every breath like he was constantly shivering. He still couldn't see properly, but he could see the tint of moonlight reflecting off his pale eyes, and they were staring at him. Harry's body flinched when he felt the cold hand touch his face. The fingertips grazed his temple, then the rest of the palm cupped his cheek, gently wiping away his tears with his thumb. Harry closed his eyes, accepting the warmth and blackness to surround him. His body felt weak and his soul seemed numb, but all he could think of was Draco. Draco's touch, Draco's voice, Draco's moonlight white hair, Draco's never-ending gray tunnels, Draco's crooked smile, Draco, Draco… The thought of him made him well enough to sleep again. What would come in the morning, he wouldn't know, but he knew Draco would be there and that was good enough for him…

_Next chapter, The Death Eaters draw closer to the boys as the boys grow closer to each other. They will have to outrun them again, but how many times can they escape without any cuts or bruises? Plus, when Draco seems to comfort Harry past the line of friends, how will Harry respond? Read to find out._

**(That summary was stupid, I know.) Okay so I am going out on a limb here. This is the beginning of a story idea I had. I hope it sounds good. This is only the beginning and in the near future Harry and Draco will grow closer (which includes getting physical cuz I cant write a fanfic without some action hehe!). Please review and tell me if I should continue. X)**


	2. Lovely Pit stop?

The first sign of light exposed the alley as a hidden doorway. The transparent line slowly darkened into a solid door. As morning quickly flew by, the orderly town quickly fell into place and the streets were thriving with people and cars. By early afternoon, the hidden door cracked open and the two boys blended in as fast as a star in the night sky. The brunette covered his glasses and lowered his head for his eyes to adjust.

"It's good to see the sun again," Harry said.

The light blonde rubbed his eyes and looked away for a minute as well. "Yeah," Draco agreed. "Stings like hell, though."

They merged into the crowds walking down the street and tried to seem appropriate and fine like everyone else. It wasn't as packed as the previous town; it was light and free with only cars in the streets and perfectly aligned stores on one side of the town and houses on the other. As they walked around aimlessly, they couldn't help but look around them defensively.

"Do you think they followed us here?" Harry asked quietly as if the Death Eaters would hear him if he spoke any louder.

Draco scoffed. "Are you kidding? Of course they followed us." Harry felt a little stung by the statement, but Draco continued, easing down the hurt from his strict tone. "But they have to go through every town they think we could be in. That's why we have the advantage. If we keep running, they'll lose track of us sooner or later."

Harry actually felt more confident hearing it from someone tall and proud like Draco. He could picture them easily walking through town after town, not having to watch their backs long enough to relax and maybe get a good night's sleep. "You really think so?" He heard himself ask.

When his forest green eyes rose to Draco, he was looking somewhere else. He paused like he didn't want to answer, but eventually he spoke, "There's a market truck." Harry followed his finger and matched his quickened pace. "It'll take us across town at least."

"Let's hope in the direction we want."

They both walked calmly toward the stalling truck. Then suddenly the engine roared and started to go into drive. The boys jumped into a run and chased the car down the street as it started to roll away. Before it could get too far off, Draco launched himself onto the small space in the truck bed by only using one hand. To Harry he actually looked like a professional. He tossed his bag onto a resting hay barrel and climbed on as well. They both sat crouched for a second as if the driver would realize he had some hitchhikers and would stop to curse at them. Yet, the truck picked up speed and they relaxed.

They climbed down on the edge, letting their legs dangle over the tailgate as they started to move through the street. Behind them were stacks of thick barrels of hay that smelled syrupy-sweet and stale at the same time. Draco let his bag rest beside him while Harry kept his on a nearby barrel. For a while they relaxed, leaning back against some barrels and letting the sun soak into their skins, warming them up and giving them a sense of freedom. Around them was the talk of the villagers, the sounds of other trucks passing, daily sounds that seemed so ordinary, but to Harry they were comforting. No explosions. No fighting. Just peace. Maybe there was a chance that they could relax. Maybe eat well, sleep decently…

Harry lifted his head up from a hay barrel behind him that he was resting on and found Draco sitting straight up, tense, and cautiously searching around them. Did he ever let his guard down? Harry never saw him loose or relaxed this entire time. He sat up and smiled to maybe lighten the mood. Maybe starting a conversation would help.

"How'd you sleep?"

Immediately, he flinched. The moment he said it, he remembered their night. He remembered the dream, the vivid torture and horror that he couldn't escape. Until Draco saved him. _Draco_ woke him up in the middle of the night and they… What could he call it? He broke down in front of him and Draco, instead of being cruel and pushing him away, actually comforted him and stayed beside him until he slept again. It was nice, he guessed he could call it. Draco was nice. He had helped him.

Draco's gray eyes moved to him instantly, surprised by his question. He didn't have that "are you joking look", but more of a shocked, "why would you ask that" face. He wasn't irritated or even cold, just surprising and a bit of understanding. He looked over Harry for a second, who had looked away from shame. "Fine…" he said quietly. "You?"

Harry stared at his legs for a minute, unable to answer. What the bloody hell could he say? "Oh, fine besides the part where I got scared out of my mind from a stupid nightmare. Thanks for helping me with that and wiping away my tears." Yeah, right. How lame was that?

All Harry did was glance his eyes at Draco. He thought he could give him that "you know" look and look away, but Draco's eyes seemed to flicker. They were so gray, so deep, so lost that Harry couldn't look away. He stared for God-knows-how-long before he felt entirely stupid and embarrassed and looked away. Draco watched him stare at his hands gripping onto the bed ledge. Harry's knuckles were white and he suddenly felt lost of breathe. Draco could see right through him, feeling embarrassed, confused, and uneasy.

He remembered waking up after finally drifting off to sleep from a wild scream. It was that type of scream where you were hurt, not just physically but emotionally. Like a long transparent knife went past your body, through your heart and straight into your soul, piercing everything that you held dear. The kind of scream from pain that you only get when you lose everything at once _because of you_. Draco knew the feeling. It hurt just to hear it again. He remembered jumping off his bed and running around to Harry's. He threw his wand away since he had fallen asleep with it, because he knew he wouldn't need it. This wasn't something magic could help.

He sat beside him and shook him. He was drenched in sweat, body as tight and dense as stone, and a horrible expression sat on his shadow covered face. He shook Harry awake only to have him fight him off. When he finally calmed down, he expected the brunette to possibly be embarrassed and go back to sleep. Instead, he fell to pieces. In the dim light, he saw the reflection of tears falling down the boy's face. He suddenly clung to him, utterly terrified of everything, of himself. Draco didn't feel irritated by it either. People clinging to him was something that crossed the line. But with Harry it was almost necessary. He even brought him closer, wrapping him under him in his complete embrace until the shaking stopped.

Draco figured the scene was over after he laid him down. He watched the eyes slowly drift close and his body and mind relaxed. He remembered his slender fingers wiping away the tears from Harry's softly curbed cheekbones. His skin was so smooth. His hair was such a deep auburn brown-or was that just the nightly shadows? What did it matter? Out of nowhere, Harry seemed so… fragile.

His hand crawled up and brushed the sweat-drenched bangs out of his face. Even in the dim light he could see the oddly shaped scar, the one that marked him of Voldemort's property, the one that caused him so much pain and sorrow. He quickly grew irritated. He couldn't stand it, knowing that he was apart of someone so vile and so harsh. What irritated him more was that he used to work for such a person. He had seen, heard, felt was he was like. The fact that he was after Harry was… was… unforgivable. That's why he volunteered to do this even though Dumbledore had already chosen him. He wanted to keep Voldemort from getting what he wanted at all times. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve Harry. He would protect Harry. Like a fragile flower, he would keep it close and protect it even if it meant his life.

Next thing he knew, he was bent down, hovering over the brunette's head and had his lips pressed against the scar. He had laid a gentle kiss on his damp forehead without even realizing it. When he came back to reality, he pulled away and jumped to his feet. What the bloody hell was he doing? Just remembering the incident made Draco dart his gaze away from him. This was business in a way. He was doing it to get back at Voldemort. Nothing more. Not for Harry.

It was a while before anything else was said. Harry pulled out the map after Draco ordered him to and they looked it over together. Draco looked at where they were and then searched around them. Harry watched him for a silent minute, then examined the area. They were across town. An hour had passed and that was how far they got. How big was this town anyway?

"Where do we go from now?" Harry asked, his voice tight from the embarrassment from earlier.

Draco quickly whipped around on the truck and looked ahead of them. They reached a market and the truck was slowing down. "Shit," he muttered under his breath and snatched his bag. "Damn mud-blood peasant. We have to walk now 'cause this imbecile took us off track."

Harry snatched his bag and hopped off the edge right as the truck stopped. "Where do we go now?" Draco didn't answer. Instead, he walked furiously the way they came and irritatedly searched around them. "Hey, where do we have to go?" Harry asked again, louder. Draco didn't answer and only walked faster, obviously infuriated out of his mind. Harry groaned and shouted, "Hey!"

"What?" Draco snapped, whirling on his heels and getting in Harry's face.

"What's your problem?" Harry asked.

Draco's grey eyes darkened and narrowed. "_You're_ my problem, all right? So shut your trap and just follow-"

Harry snatched his wrist, yanking the blonde back before he could fully walk away. "I didn't do anything wrong and neither did that merchant, so would you just cool your jets? We won't get anywhere if you're pissed off the entire time." Draco glared down to the brunette's grip on his wrist and refused to respond. Harry's stomach tied into a knot of guilt when his dark eyes flickered up to him a death glare. Draco was just about to rip his hand away before Harry released him in an attempt of peace.

Draco's lips were tight, as if he was going to blow his lid on him, but something poked at him from inside and he turned away. Silent and steaming, he stormed off ahead. Harry waited a minute, recovering from the fight and soon followed. He should've expected that; fighting with Draco. He was Draco. _Draco Malfoy_. They were bound to fight sooner or later. Yet… Harry had the slightest feeling they were past that point. Why? He wasn't really sure. Maybe it was because of last night, when he fell to pieces and Draco picked him back up. Maybe he thought Draco wasn't so bad. Maybe it was because he thought Draco had a pure side to him, one that allowed him to go on this trip. Maybe he figured Draco was better than the way he was before. He guessed he was wrong.

They didn't walk far, only down the street and took a hard left. They were walking down a side road when Harry flinched. _That_ feeling crept up. That eerie, sharp feeling that snapped his senses awake. He'd been so off that this was the first time he felt it in a while. It was a dark, cold feeling, and a dangerous one at that. One that made you shiver and the hair on the back of your neck erect. Harry could feel it close by. Draco could feel it, too, because he throbbed and snapped his head to Harry beside him. Their gazes met and they both knew what it meant. There were Death Eaters nearby.

Draco immediately pulled Harry closer after their five feet distance and shortened their steps, walking faster and tighter than before. There were few people on the street, making them an open target for the perfect kill-shot. Harry stuffed the map away and grabbed his wand as Draco looked around them and snatched his wand as well.

"There," Draco muttered and forced Harry to look behind them. Way behind them, practically the size of their palm-away was the Death Eater. Dressed in all black, the man kept his head low and stalked them at their own pace. They easily met the man's gaze, yet the man continued to casually stalk them. He didn't attack nor charge, nor make a face acknowledging them. Draco and Harry faced forward, also acting normal, but didn't let their guard down.

"Why isn't he attacking us?" Harry asked in a hushed whisper as if the Death Eater could hear them.

Draco shook his head and looked back at the man. "I don't know. They're up to something. Watch your back."

Harry nodded and muttered, "You, too."

They walked silently down the side road. More and more people began to leave to the main road, leaving the side road more empty than ever. Still the man followed as if he didn't even see them. They were suppose to turn at the next right and take a short cut through the forest. Yet, with a Death Eater at their heels, they couldn't risk it. They went straight.

When Draco glanced back again, he saw the man for only a second-then he disappeared. He flickered and was gone with a single blink. He halted and stopped Harry abruptly. "Damn," he whispered and frantically searched around them. Harry caught on to the vanishing act and looked around them as well. There was nothing but tall apartment buildings large enough to block the sun, temporarily covering them in shadows. Draco finally whirled around and right beside them, coming out from between the space of two buildings was the man. Draco whipped out his wand, but the man only stood still, waiting for something…

Harry snatched Draco and started to drag him away. They sprinted down the street all while the man stayed behind merely watching them. Draco squinted as the man purposely walked to the center of the road so the boys could see him, but stayed in his place like a frozen statue. They came upon a cornered section of the road and their only choice was to go left. The moment they came around the sharp corner, a fist whipped Draco across the face. He hit the ground as a Death Eater smirked viciously. Harry snapped his wand into the man's throat since he was-unarmed? What the hell was going on?

Harry shoved the wand deeper when the man chuckled vilely, causing the man to back up into the left wall. "You're in no position to threaten me, kid." The man hissed with that playful smirk. He held his hands up like he was innocent, but his face was pure evil. He looked like he was playing with two toddlers.

"Shut up." Harry said and held the wand tighter. "I'm not afraid to blow your head off."

The man laughed again. "Yes, you are."

"He may be…" Draco climbed to his feet and pointed his wand in the man's face. "But _I_'m not." He opened his mouth, ready to actually kill the man, but Harry flinched. He released the man and grabbed Draco's arm, yanking it down and stopping him from casting the spell. But Draco didn't stop. Instead he jumped around Harry's blocking body and landed a hard fist on the Death Eater's face. The man's head turned from the impact and he only **laughed**. Infuriated past his limits, Draco whirled his wand over his head and screamed. The bolt of power whipped the man and threw him across the alley like a rag doll. He smacked the wall, hit the ground in a sitting position-and _laughed_.

Draco breathed hard and charged at him, but Harry snatched his tense shoulders. "No! We need to go."

"I'm gonna kill him." Draco said tightly and bluntly. "I'm gonna blow his bloody head off!"

"No!" Harry said loudly and used all of his body weight to yank the blonde back. "Forget about him. He's not even fighting back. We need to **leave**!"

Draco shrugged Harry off easily and pointed his wand in the man's face. "What the hell are you up to?" He asked fiercely. The man only smiled. Draco snatched the man's shirt, yanked his head up, and pointed his wand on his temple. "What the hell are you and your friends doing?"

The man's smile grew larger. He opened his mouth as if to answer him, but only whispered something. Harry could barely hear him, but Draco heard him loud and clear. "Child." Draco's eyes grew wide, growing lighter with fury. He shook his head and spoke louder. "You bloody pathetic child."

Draco's breath increased so fast that he was panting and he was growling deep inside. He groaned and threw the man into the wall. His fist came across his face, then his foot into his gut. He was ready to give him many blows, but Harry yanked him back. He was shouting something, but the blood was roaring in Draco's ears too loud to be heard. He had exploded. He was so damn pissed that this body was on fire, his body was trembling, and he didn't even know why. He was so angry before this and now this man was just playing with him-and he was so angry!

Finally, Harry dragged Draco far enough away for him to snap back to reality. "There's more!" The brunette was shouting. "There's gotta be!"

That's when Draco got it. The man following them had stayed behind them down the other road and then this new man had punched him. He had pissed Draco off, but didn't attempt to fight back. He wasn't even armed, or if he was he wasn't trying to show it. He kept the boys with him trapped in that corner. Where was the first guy?

Draco turned and found him in that corner with five other Death Eaters. He looked back to the first man who stood up and finally drew his wand. His wounds practically healed in less than a minute as he chuckled at the trap they had laid. Harry stood close and it wasn't until he grabbed Draco's arm that he realized the brunette was looking up. The blonde looked up as well to the roofs of the buildings. Lingering on the edges were more Death Eaters, three on each side. They easily morphed into that ghastly black smoke and dropped vilely to the floor. Soon the boys were surrounded by a dozen men, all armed and dangerous.

Harry stood up straight and got parallel to one of them, ready to fight like he could take all of them on at once. Instead, Draco shoved him behind him and cornered him against the wall. Harry tried to push his human shield away, but Draco stayed in place.

"W-What are you doing?" He asked irritated, but Draco didn't answer. He ignored the shoves and fists hitting his back and refused to move. "Draco!" He screamed as the Death Eaters moved in quietly, but he remained motionless.

He lifted his wand to the circling men and women and stared into each one of their eyes. His bold face and dark eyes gave the message loud and clear. "If you want him," Draco said harshly, "you're gonna have to get through me."

At that moment, time seemed to stop. The Death Eaters amused, Harry confused, and Draco determined. They all started to share a light laugh, like they had already won this game. Yet, out of nowhere, a bright light penetrated the scene with a loud _snap_! Draco shoved Harry into the wall, blocking his whole body, and braced for the upcoming pain. Except it didn't come. A shout, a flash, and multiple thuds-but no pain. Draco whirled around and found a tall, appropriate, but strong man standing in front of him. When the light diminished, it exposed half of the Death Eaters on the floor, unconscious. The other half were facing to the left.

The man in front of the boys waved his wand and brought down the shield he had posted in front of all three of them. In the same motion, he shouted and snapped his hand horizontally through the air. A thin line of power burst from the tip and acted like a whip, snatching the rest of the Death Eaters from the side and throwing them into the wall.

The second man came running up from the left and Harry and Draco easily recognized him. The man in front of him faced them and revealed the twins. The men from yesterday morning who had shown them to their hiding spot for the night were here to help them. "Go!" They shouted in unison.

"If you run now, you'll get away unharmed. Go!" The one before them shouted.

Without thinking, Draco yanked Harry away from the wall and dragged him to the right. As they sprinted, some barely alive Death Eaters got to their knees and started shooting. Most of them had their attention on the twins, but one saw the boys and casted a sharp spell their way. Draco was quick enough to shove Harry around the corner and the power barely missed his head. If he was a second later, the spell would've gone straight through the back of his head instead of hitting the corner of the building.

They ran back the way they came and around the wrong turn. They took long strides, as far as their legs would let them to get a greater distance without slipping. Harry was just behind Draco the slightest bit, still beside him, but uneven. The moment Draco looked back at him, Harry took his hand. He didn't deny it either. He gripped his hand tighter and charged through the thin crowd side-by-side. As they passed another corner, a Death Eater jumped out. Harry jolted and Draco started to reel back, but one of the twins pounced of him. The boys sprinted by as the man knocked the Death Eater unconscious with a poke of his wand.

They reached a break in the towering gate that surrounded the entire city right in the direction they were told to head to. A loose board was pulled out just the slightest bit. Draco kicked it in effortlessly and threw it aside. He slipped out and helped Harry through after him.

They found themselves amid a forest and didn't stop to even look for a clear way through. They darted between some trees and trudged through the heavy terrain. There was no road visible and the town was slowly fading behind them. Soon, they were completely surrounded by nothing but trees and bushes. The sun was lower than earlier and still beat down upon them in a hot, dark orange embrace. They continued to stumble along the terrain, not seeing anyone, not knowing where to go, and completely exhausted. While the entire time, never letting go of that warm, soft hand.

When their running turned to trudging, they finally saw someone. A woman came from behind a tree and was easily in arm's distance. The boys stopped and Harry pointed his wand up before Draco could, ready to fire. The woman immediately shot a spell onto the forest ground. The leaves and twigs swirled gracefully into the form of letters and spelled out the silent note. "Auxilium." Harry dropped his arm in relief and Draco pulled him toward the lady. He opened his mouth to speak, but the woman stopped him with her finger and shot another spell onto the floor. "Don't speak. Death Eaters are everywhere. One word and we're dead. Get inside."

Both boys read the note and nodded silently. The woman walked to the tree and tapped her wand against it five slow times. A golden line inched around the tree in a round arch and the door popped out. Draco and Harry slipped inside to find it like a huge tree house. Down the entry hall there was a bathroom to the right, a bedroom to the left, and a dining room with a fireplace in the very back. As they walked in, their hands finally separated and they both went limp. Harry fell onto a wooden chair since it was the closest thing to him. His lungs burned, he couldn't catch his breath, and his legs were like pure jelly-too weak to hold him up any longer. He practically collapsed into the seat. Draco leaned on the wall, breathing twice as hard and sweating profusely. Yet, he soon took a seat beside Harry in another chair and leaned onto the wooden table in front of them.

"You'll stay here for the night and half of tomorrow," the woman explained after the door shut silently. "You do not leave until fifteen hundred hours, got it?"

Harry struggled to breath, but everything hurt. His feet, legs, chest, throat, eyes-he was too sore to breathe. "Wha… W-What….a…The…. Mi-…Mid-dle…t-town…"

"The Death Eaters are already at Middletown. They traced your directions and had you cornered back there. Dumbledore specifically had us all keep you here, completely lost, to throw them off."

"B-But…" Draco panted hard. "Th….The…inn…"

"You will still go there. Once the Death Eaters are confused, we'll send you off. You'll continue your given locations. Just consider this… a pit stop." The woman pointed to the cupboard and cabinet behind the table and finished with, "There's food and water in there. Rest up and gather up your strength." She nodded at the exhausted boys and left without another word. The door magically sealed behind her, the frame glowing, then disappearing like a line in the dirt being easily wiped off.

Harry forced his legs to get up, gasping at the pain that made his knees seem like old, rusted hinges about to break, and searched the cupboard. There were sandwiches and chips of all sorts and in the cabinet, that was as cold as snow from a spell, were fruits, vegetables, and water. He snatched two bottles and gave one to Draco which they both quickly drained. They never felt so relieved to have some water.

Harry laid back, finally starting to breathe normally, and relaxed. Draco, on the other hand, got to his feet and stumbled away from him. For some reason, he leaned on the hallway corner for a minute with his back to the brunette. Neither of them spoke, but it was obvious what the problem was. Draco had purposely blocked him from the Death Eaters instead of letting him fight. And what irritated Harry further was that he wouldn't give him a reason. Draco hated him! He could understand that he was forced to go on this trip with him, but what was the point in protecting him like that if he despised him? Now he wasn't even speaking to him?

Harry forced down the last couple of pants and spoke harshly, "What the hell was that?" Draco remained silent and didn't even acknowledge him speaking. Harry raised his tone. "I can fight. You know I can. So why did you jump in front of me-"

"Shut up!" Draco snapped, quickly facing him with a frustrated red face. "I have my reasons."

"Then tell me." Harry demanding, getting to his feet to face him. The moment he took a step toward Draco, the blonde whirled away, storming off down the hall. "Tell me!" Harry echoed after him.

"No." Draco answered coldly.

Harry got in the arch of the hallway and shouted, "You don't make any sense!" In one long breath, he began to ramble angrily. "I don't get you at all. One minute you're nice, then the next you're pissed of at me! I know you hate me so why help me? Sure, Dumbledore told you to, but you can make your own choices. You chose to leave _Him_, didn't you? You can choose to leave me alone. If you don't care about me then why _bother_?"

Draco was silent when he stopped shouting and returned to panting. He had one hand on the bedroom doorway and had his grey eyes on the wooden floor. He didn't speak for a long minute, straining to get the words out, but not knowing which words to say. Harry finally walked after him, rambling again with a stricter tone. "I can protect myself. I don't _need_ you."

Draco forced out a laugh, but it was weak. "The why'd Dumbledore pick me to go with you, huh?" He finally turned around and his face was cold and hard like all those days in Hogwarts whenever they passed each other in the halls and glared. "Why am I here if you're so God damn strong, huh? I know I could let you die, but what's the point in endangering my life by letting you get killed so fast? Huh? Answer that."

It was Harry's turn to be silent, but not really because he was at a loss for words. More or less, he was studying the blonde. He was weak and angry-no…confused. He was stuck on something, something that infuriated him and was making him avoid Harry. He wouldn't speak to him when he gave his spiel of protecting him, but he spoke back when he mentioned Dumbledore. Harry could easily find his weak point if he judged this all correctly.

Smoothly and a bit gentle, he asked, "Draco, why do you hate me?" Draco's grey eye's flickered, almost flinched as if hurt by the question, and he turned away. Once again, he didn't answer. Quickly Harry continued, like he was under a time limit and wanted to get out all he wanted to say. "I never did anything to hurt you a-and all you've done is push me down. Now suddenly you're helping me and it's like nothing changed. So why bother? Ever since our first year at Hogwarts I left you alone and yet you still come after me. Why do you hate me so much that you have to-"

"I don't." Draco hissed, looking back at him over his shoulder somewhat. "It has nothing to do with you," he quickly added. "I'm doing what Dumbledore ordered me to do-"

"Well, Dumbledore didn't ask you to put your life on the line for me." Harry grabbed his shoulder and made the blonde look at him, but Draco shrugged him off in a fierce shove. "Why did you do it? If you hate me so much, why would you risk it?"

"Because!" Draco said loudly.

"Because why?" Harry shouted back. "I'm nothing compared to you so that means _I am_ nothing to you."

"That's not-!" Draco quickly stopped himself. He sucked his breath back in and looked away again, trying to keep something in, but Harry egged him on, trying to get him to spit it out.

"Not what? Why would you risk it? You hate me, I know you do. Which means that you wouldn't put your life on the line for me. It's so stupid it pisses me off. I don't understand you! But I know that you wouldn't _die_ for me-"

"Yes, I would!" Draco screamed, spinning on his heels, and his fist hit the wall beside Harry's head. The slam made Harry jump back against the wall and the shout put him in shocked silence while Draco pulled back a bit. He was surprised he would confess such a thing, but his face didn't regret it. He stared solemnly into those green eyes and tried to slow his quickened breathing. His voice repeated in a hushed whisper, "Yes, I would…"

As Harry stared into those light gray pools, he instantly knew that Draco wasn't lying. It wasn't a business matter or because Dumbledore told him to. It was because of something else. Draco protected him of his own accord and Harry knew, without words-probably because he witnessed it for himself- that Draco meant it. He really would stand in front of a bullet-or a wand-or a dozen wands for him.

Harry stood speechless as Draco did. The blonde looked over Harry and seemed to get lost. His eyes grew darker and his face softer. His fist on the wooden wall ever so slowly relaxed and held his weight up in front of the brunette. Harry was staring at those grey eyes, studying them, trying to understand them, until they started to grow bigger-no, **closer**. Draco's eyes lowered to Harry's lips and traced those gently curved lines. Harry fell back against the wall as Draco was unconsciously leaning forward. The space between their faces slowly diminished to almost nothing. Harry stood shocked and stuck on what to do as they were suddenly pressed together, breathing fast, and about to…about to…

Draco's eyes widened the slightest bit and he jerked away. Harry stood completely still as Draco disappeared into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Harry's hand slowly came up to his mouth where he gently touched his lips, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do.

What the… What just happened? Harry rose his eyes to the closed doorway where he could easily picture the blonde acting like nothing had happened.

"_If you want him, you're gonna have to get through me."_

"_Yes, I would…"_

Harry was no longer confused. The only thing he running through his mind was the image of those two lips connected with his own, gently, softly, almost magically. Still, he couldn't help but wonder _why_. That seemed to be the question he had been asking all night so he shouldn't have been surprised that he didn't get a definite answer.

Although the sun was setting, the lights inside the house made the wooden walls glow as if a new discovery had been born. But in such a condition, even a fresh discovery has a million mysteries that wouldn't be solved for a long, long time…

_Next chapter, Harry and Draco have to slyly pass the last few Death Eaters on their own. With the strange connection going on between them, which will they choose-Love? Or Run? Read to find out._

**Gosh, okay, did this take a long time or what? Whenever I get writers block on my other stories I come to this to pick me up. I hope its ok xP You can ignore those summaries, I don't think I'm very good at them, but review please and tell me whether or not I should continue.**


	3. Can't Stop Running

When Harry woke up, his body was extremely heavy. He hesitated on moving from the lonely bed cloaked in the dim morning light, but eventually decided to move. As soon as he slid his leg off the bed, pain shot through his muscles. It echoed through his body as if he was hollow, shocking every nerve with a searing pain. His legs were so weak they trembled under him, his arms were practically numb, and his head felt like it weighed so close to a ton that he was surprised his toothpick neck could hold it up. Even though he hurt, he sat up and gazed around the empty, singular bedroom.

His fuzzy mind recalled the previous night. He remembered the Death Eaters, sprinting through the forest, then the fight, and the kiss- _almost_ kiss. They almost kissed. Him. Harry Potter almost kissed Draco Malfoy. After that, Draco gave him the room and slept on the couch by the fireplace. They haven't spoke since.

Harry climbed out of the bed and slumped to the door. He almost wanted to crawl his muscles hurt so bad, but once in the hall he saw Draco. He was moving quickly around the kitchen, with ease and no sign of pain although his body was throbbing more than Harry's. Harry took a deep breath and walked straight.

Draco was tearing things out of the cupboard and shoving them into his backpack. He had his wand in one hand and food in the other, shoving it into the bag even though his arm burned with pain every time he moved his muscles. When he moved to the cold cupboard acting as a freezer, his senses told him he was no longer alone. He knew Harry was standing in the doorway, watching him, expecting him to say something, but he couldn't. Harry knew it, too. He could tell by the way Draco paused that he knew he was there. Yet, neither boy spoke a single word.

Draco finally grabbed a sandwich out of the bag and tossed it at him, still without looking at him. "Eat up," he said as cold as he ever sounded. "When that door opens, we're sprinting for Middle Town." Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Draco wouldn't let him. "That foolish girl knows nothing of Death Eaters. They aren't going to peek their head in and then leave. They'll be swarming that town for days, especially if they know we are coming. We're gonna run right into them either way. So hurry up and eat."

Harry watched Draco put the cold foods into another bag one by one and then used the same spell to make the bag a freezer. He added a spell to both bags to feel weightless and normal so they'd be easier to carry. Harry watched him almost in a daze. He couldn't think straight or get his mind to focus on anything. He glanced at the sandwich, then back at Draco.

The blonde finished packing the bags and whipped his own over his shoulder. Then he stormed past Harry with his eyes somewhere else. "If you're just gonna stand there, Potter, I'll leave you behind."

That snapped Harry back. Immediately he turned after Draco, irritated to the point of confusion. "Draco," he called quickly and stopped the blonde in the middle of the hall. Now that he had his attention… What did he want to say? All he could think about was Draco jumping in front of a dozen wands to save him, Draco holding his hand as they ran, Draco leaning in to kiss him. He wanted to say something-anything at all, a simple few words to get an answer that he knew he was never going to receive. Still, the silence remained,

Draco eventually moved. He turned back slightly and met his gaze for the first time. Harry was quickly sent back to their first year at Hogwarts. When he first met Draco, the first time the Slytherin bastard glared at him, such a cold hearted stare with eyes that burned like flaming ice. He received that stare now, one that looked like he wanted nothing to do with him, and it hurt. Harry felt completely hollow now and this pain was nothing compared to before.

Before Harry could even begin to relearn to breathe again, a _snap_ echoed through the air. Behind him, the magic was released faster than a blink of an eye and there was a quick, sucking and rushing sound as the door reappeared. The golden outline returned and popped the wooden arch of a door open, letting in the first signs of daylight. Harry glanced at it, then back at Draco who once again had averted his eyes from Harry.

"Let's go," he muttered as he past him, heading for the door.

All Harry could do was sigh. Whatever he wanted to say to him, whatever he wanted to get out of him, he knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon…

The walking was tedious and **awkward**. The silence was filled between the crunch of leaves and twigs under their shoes. Harry was finishing a sandwich when they came to a stop on the hill they were trudging up. Draco held up his hand, motioning him to completely stop. The brunette stood still for a moment next to a large oak tree as Draco merely gazed around them with questioning, cold eyes. Harry finally grabbed some water and took a sip. Even after he put it back, Draco was still silent.

"What-"

"Shut up," Draco said immediately, causing Harry to glare. After another moment he relaxed. "I'm just checking to see if any Death Eaters are close by."

"Are there?" Harry asked.

"Tons." Harry flinched, but Draco only shrugged it off. "Relax, they won't sense us unless we use some magic. So stay quiet and low and we'll be fine."

"So then, she was right." Draco didn't even look at him. "That woman, what she said was right. Because we made that stop, we threw them off and now we can get through the town easily-"

"Just shut up." Draco snapped and started to walk forward.

Harry groaned. "Why can't you say it? What she did was helpful-"

"I don't care," Draco finally said, loud enough to echo through the trees around them. He turned to face him, but his eyes never met Harry's straight on. "I don't care what some mudblood said or what I was told to do. I'll do what I want, when I want. Now shut your filthy trap and let's go."

He turned away again, heading down the hill toward the tip of the city they could see afar. Harry hesitated, but took a single step forward, a firm, determined step. "Liar," he said boldly.

Draco stopped yet again and glared back with such a harsh stare that it could burn through walls. "What?" He growled.

Harry hesitated again. This was what he was trying to get at. Or maybe it wasn't. Whatever it was, he needed to say _something_ close to what he was aiming at. "Then why'd you save me?" Draco flinched and looked straight on, away from the brunette. "If you really don't care about anything, then tell me why… you'd risk your life to save mine…"

Draco was silent. He said nothing for a long time. Harry couldn't speak either. His head was spinning faster than he could control. What else could he say anyway? Draco eventually started to walk forward and ordered quietly, "Let's go."

Harry almost scoffed. He was going to act like that? He was going to play that game? Like the conversation would just slip away with the wind and never come up again? Harry took a step back from him. "No."

Draco groaned and stomped his feet into the ground, stopping for the third time in a row. "Ugh, Potter, I swear-!"

"If you really don't care then leave!" Harry shouted down the hill. "If you don't give a shit then don't bother coming with me anymore! Leave me behind, forget about me like you always say. I don't care! If you don't then neither do I!" Harry stormed over to the nearest tree and leaned against it angrily. "I don't wanna be in this mess either, but unlike you, I'm stuck in it either way. **You** have a choice so go!" He paused to catch his breath and finished with, "Leave… if you really don't give a damn…"

Draco stood still for a moment, then became so agitated that his face grew red. He stormed up the hill and snatched him by the collar of his shirt. "You're so bloody stupid!" He cried and dragged him away from the tree. Harry resisted once, but as soon as Draco shouted again, his body gave in. "I'm stuck here, too so I won't go. I _can't_ leave you behind. So stop saying that or I'll beat your ass all the way to this rotten place!"

Instead of pure fury, Harry heard Draco's voice quiver, even if it was just for an instant, he heard it. He gave in and let Draco throw him in front of him, starting down the hill. Although he was still rough and stubborn, he had shown a side of softness. Well, maybe not that far, but he had exposed something. He had the muscles and the nerves-the nerve to care.

When they reached the town, both of the boys' legs were weak. Draco put up with it like the stubborn mule he was, but Harry was the one who suggested the café. They slipped easily into a warm, modern building. It was a comforting place to rest with a stylish interior. The boys took a booth by a wide window with a large green plant in the window sill. When the waiter approached, Draco went to turn them down, but Harry said, "A butter beer, please." Draco gave him a queer look, but he shrugged and said, "We can't stay uptight all the time." With that Draco paused, then nodded at the lady to get him one as well.

Before the silence could fully take them over, Draco reached into his bag and pulled the map out. As he spread it out over the table, Harry leaned closer and asked, "Did anything change?"

Draco gave him a quick glance. "What?"

"Dumble-I-I mean, um, he said that if they got to close, the map could change and we'd have to follow new directions."

Draco scoffed as if he were dealing with a child. "Please, like that could change anything."

Harry sighed and extended his hand. "Can I just look at it?"

Draco silently shoved the map across the table. He watched Harry shake his head slightly and take the map into his hands. The stubborn blonde crossed his arms and leaned back against the cushioned seat. He looked around the place only feeling slightly uneasy. They were still the magical state, thank God, but everywhere he looked there were muggles. It made him squint, knowing that sorry-excuses for wizards could be here. Yet, he was always told to ignore it because getting angry wasn't going to change anything. As he was turning his head for the window, something caught his eye.

A few tables away, a boy and a girl sat across from each other. She had short black hair that cupped her face and a thin body. He was tall, lean and had dark blonde hair hanging down his shoulder in a long ponytail. They were sharing a lunch plate between them and were leaning a little too far over the table. The girl was giggling as the boy complimented her. Draco watched both their hands get closer and closer across the wooden surface until their fingertips touched. His own eyes then glanced at the hands holding the paper map across his table.

He almost slapped himself. He seriously wasn't thinking-just because he held his hand when they were running didn't mean anything! Ever since they started this journey together his mind had been going haywire. He turned to look out the window again, but the couple snatched his eye again. The girl laughed and the boy placed a kiss on her cheek. They looked so happy and innocent. If only…

"Here you go," the soft voice said, making Draco flinched. The waitress handed them both their drinks with a smile and walked away.

Draco tried to calm his nerves and took a sip of the sweet drink. He was honestly getting worked up over nothing. He finally forced his eyes to the window and almost dropped the glass in his hand.

Everything happened at once. First, the air grew dense, the clear sign that a spell was taking place far too strong to be anything but black magic. Then it snapped like a breaking string and sent a wave of power throughout the area which only about everyone noticed. It whipped at both the boys' senses and made them halt to a complete stop. Immediately the place went still with surprise. Draco easily caught sight of the cause of such a commotion. Black clothes, souls as dark as the night, and they were right outside the window.

In a flash Draco grabbed Harry's collar and shoved his head down on the table with his own. The brunette didn't argue for he knew his cause of such actions. He threw the map in his bag with one hand and crouched under the plant. The Death Eaters outside gazed around at all the stares they received from appearing in the middle of the street. Everyone seemed to stop and stare, wands ready, prepared for anything. The two men and one woman nodded at each other and split up, separating to different directions. The woman went inside a boutique make-up and clothes store, one man went into a market, and the other went into the neighboring building. As soon as they were out of sight, Harry went to get up, but Draco yanked him back down.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a low voice.

Draco whispered, "Stay low and quiet, remember?"

"But-"

"We haven't used a spell yet so they can't locate us. If we allow the other in here to use a spell, we can escape without being detected."

Harry paused and got that sorrowful look in his eyes. "Then… wouldn't we be endangering everyone in this room?" To that, Draco didn't respond. The only person in the world to take all this blame upon himself and refuse to accept help or cause anyone other than him to be injured. In a way, he was more stubborn than Draco.

Yet, they had to stop talking for the front door smashed open and made everyone turn. In the doorway, towering over everyone like some vile shadow, was the largest Death Eater. He glared at everyone who gladly returned it. The boys were lucky there was a thick wall separating them from the man. Through the blurry glass they watched him stroll farther in and look around. Everyone stared silently until the man reached into his coat for his wand.

Instantly, a man from the counter jumped in front of him. "What business do you have here?" He asked tightly.

The Death Eater paused, hand still in the jacket, and said nothing. Slowly, he smiled like one a wicked snake would wear before eating its prey. "None of yours," he hissed.

"Good," the man snapped and motioned his head for the door. "Then you can leave."

The Death Eater only smiled and finally drew his wand. Over half the room got to their feet, raising their wands in defense. A woman came out from behind the counter, clearly the manager, and spoke loudly. "You have no reason to be here. Leave!"

His gaze narrowed. "Don't play with me, kitten. This dog likes to bite."

The room went still for a long time. No one moved, the air was tense, not even a single breath was drawn in. Then, the Death Eater flicked his wrist, about to do a spell. The man behind the manager pounced, flashing a spell so fast and bright that it blinded and froze everyone for a moment. The Death Eater, however, easily knocked it away.

Draco snatched Harry's wrist and dragged him from the table. They started to slip by as the fight started to get heavier. Ten more people did the same spell, trying to knock the man out of the building, but the Death Eater brushed it off with a flick of his wand as if it was nothing more than the wind. He did this again and again to the different spells he were receiving and laughed as he did. In the next spell, he spotted two boys dashing past the crowd, a blonde and a familiar brunette. He instantly grew furious and knocked the next spell away. In the same motion, he created a wave of power so hard that it smashed everyone to the ground.

Luckily, Harry turned around just in time to snap a spell at a nearby bookcase, knocking it over and blocking the spell from them and the exit from everyone else. Draco and Harry charged through the back door as the Death Eater charged after them only to come up short at the bookcase. With the little time they had, the boys sprinted around the nearest corner which only led to the back of the neighboring building. Instead of continuing another way, Draco yanked Harry to a stop.

Harry snapped, "What are you-"

Yet, all he saw was the tip of Draco's wand in his face before the bright light blinded him. It was a quick flash, one that held a strong spell that Harry barely recognized. He could feel the power completely surround him, outlining his entire body, tingling his fingers and sparks of energy dancing across his face. He felt tight, pressure points where the denseness of the spell was taking affect. It centered mostly around his chest and waist, but it wrapped around his entire body, changing the structure of practically everything on him.

When he could see again, everything about him was different. For one, he was wearing a dress, a frilly white one and long brown boots. His chest was heavier and his entire body was somehow more fragile than before. That's when he realized that Draco had turned him into a girl. He even saw the ends of black short hair cupping around his chin. For the one second that he could see Draco, he saw someone else. The person was taller than Draco, and lean. He had dark blonde hair that was pulled into a ponytail and hung down his back. Harry would've been completely lost if he didn't recognize Draco's dark grey eyes.

The sudden change in clothes -and gender- entirely threw him off. Harry opened his mouth to question, but he had no time to even fully react to what happened. All in one second, Draco shoved him into the concrete wall, scooped the glasses off his face in one quick motion, and **kissed** him.

Harry froze immediately and his hands automatically rejected the idea, pushing at his shoulders roughly, but Draco stayed in place. His lips engulfed Harry's in a tight, longing kiss that seemed to lift Harry off his feet. Harry didn't know what to do. It was unorthodox, random, wrong, baffling-but so sweet. His lips were so warm and the first kiss gave Harry such a sensation that-that he couldn't understand it. He felt light and warm somewhere deep down and his mind finally slowed down.

Of course, a million questions ran through his head, but none of them seemed to matter anymore. He was kissing a boy when he a boy himself. He was kissing Draco. Draco Malfoy, to be precise. The guy who hated him and he hated back. An alarm was ringing somewhere in his mind, but it was draining out with the second slow kiss he received from Draco. The questions settled down. Technically, he was a girl kissing a boy which wasn't wrong at all. No one knew who they were this way and-hey, he didn't even know who he was.

Before he knew it, he was kissing back. Slowly at first, like if they moved too fast, the spell would break and the kiss would end. Harry went weak for a moment, settling into the sweetness of the kiss. Then he gradually moved into the pace. His now feminine hands tightened on Draco's newly boney shoulders and the blonde moved closer. Soon Harry was pinned against the wall with Draco completely against him. Their kisses grew faster and deeper, so much that they grew oblivious to everything around them.

Draco cupped Harry's face, tilted it up slightly, and shoved his tongue in his mouth. The new kiss sent shocks of delight ricocheting through Harry's body-and he loved it. He wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, pulling his head in closer to make the kiss last longer. He was on the tip of his toes, relying on Draco to hold him up, and was drowning in the warmth and pleasure of his lips, getting so lost that he forgot about everything-why he was running, where he was running to, who he was running from. It all happened so fast and it seemed so magical that no spell could compare. That's why Harry was struck shocked when it was suddenly ripped away from him.

Draco's lips tore away from him, ending the kiss roughly and slamming him back into the wall. When he opened his eyes, the different-looking Draco didn't pull away, someone yanked him away. Upon seeing the Death Eater, everything rushed back to Harry and he stood motionless like a deer in front of a pair of headlights.

Draco smacked the man's hand off his shoulder. "What the hell!" He screamed, his voice sounding different than before.

The Death Eater gave him a confused look, then glanced at Harry, who at him looked like a frightened school girl. "Who are you?" He asked in a low, surprised voice.

"Who are _you_?" Draco snapped back, but shook his head at the man and shoved him away. "Look, I don't care who you are or what you want, but as you can see-" he motioned to the female Harry before him, "-I'm busy. So get lost."

Draco boldly turned away from the Death eater as if he was merely a stranger and scooped Harry back into his arms. Harry stood still for a moment, leaning weakly into his tough chest, afraid to move or even speak. Draco tilted his head up and for a minute, Harry thought he was going to kiss him again. Draco had planned on it, but his body pulled back. His eyes flickered away and he watched the Death Eater scoff, then storm away. Together they watched the man stomp away, completely lost, then softly their eyes met for the first time all day. For once, there was no anger nor hurt, or anything remotely close it. As they stared, a sense of understanding lingered somewhere nearby as they looked through a completely new pair of eyes and saw….saw something they never had seen before, but knew all too well…

The Death Eater came around the corner to where the others were. "Where's the boy?" The other male snapped immediately once he saw him alone.

"Not there."

"I thought you had him!" The girl interrogated.

The man growled back, "They were right there, then when I grabbed him-" He stopped suddenly when he saw the same boy and girl he caught behind the store-the ones kissing, the ones he had for sure sensed as Harry and Draco- come strolling out of the front door of a different store. These ones were completely different in power and the girl was even a mud blood. In a fit of rage, he sprinted back to the corner where he had seen the couple only to find an empty alleyway…

…**..**

The moon was high, giving off numerous pale beams of light across the town. It had gone quiet, the entire town still with the darkness. It was as last as the night could get, settling in the black shadows with the chilly air and silent atmosphere. The inn was one of the tallest buildings in the town, therefore collecting most of the beautiful blue rays. In turn it was also the darkest part of the town. The building was glowing like it was resting in some kind of massive spotlight, but all around its edges were the darkest shadows, and that's where the boys rested.

Draco stood outside, staring up at the rotating sky. It seemed everything around him was dark and cold, except for the sky. The sky was bright with little bright dots randomly popping up all over the gigantic plane, including the largest light of them all, making everything shine with a settling sense of peace and comfort. All while he was stuck down below in the shadows. How long had it been that way? Where all he could do was stand there and watch happiness stroll by? Always watching but never reaching, always trying to touch, just to see what its like, only to miss it, barely graze by it with his fingertips… It hurt, to watch it go by, not knowing what it felt like, so instead he destroyed it. That's what he did, his family did. At least until he was pulled away from it. Supposedly, this side was better, but when would he be able to taste it? When would his turn come to experience such feelings when he didn't deserve them, didn't even have the right to look at others enjoying after all he'd done? It hurt too much to look at the stars anymore, but he couldn't turn his eyes away.

Harry came out from the building, having finished checking them in. They hadn't spoken since they ran, but no words were needed. He strolled over into the cold beside the blonde and tilted his head back to what he was looking at.

He was on a different page than Draco, he had experienced happiness. Even if he was born into a horrible life, he still made the best of it. He had friends, he experienced love, and he was able to do kind things. He could reach that line of happiness, unlike Draco… Until _He_ took it away. Now _He_ was dragging Harry away from that line, trying to make him suffer like Draco had to. He wouldn't let it happen. As much as it killed him, he wouldn't let _Him_ reach Harry. He would secure his happiness if it was the last thing he did.

Harry saw it differently. Although he was surrounded by friends and the warmth of happiness, he felt like he didn't deserve it either. If he was apart of evil and all he could do was run, what kind of person like that deserved to be praised? He wanted to fight, even from the shadows, he wanted to face the darkest being head-on. It would probably steal his happiness, most likely suck him dry of his magic-and kill him. But he wouldn't deny it. If it would cause others happiness, and clean up all the blood that was drawn from his being alive, he would hand over his life in a split second. However, everyone was convincing him not to. What for? He had no family, but he would be the cause of the loss of other's families. That was something he couldn't stand. Why have happiness if all it would bring was pain?

Harry slowly looked away from the stars. "Do you think they're okay?" He asked softly, speaking for the first time in hours. Draco stood still, not sure how to respond. "The people at the café… They didn't… I mean, the Death Eater… He didn't…"

Draco closed his eyes, not realizing how tired they had been from staring. "They're fine," he said still as cold as ever, but with a more settled tone.

"But…" Harry hesitated, not wanting to argue, but needing to get it off his chest. "But he had to get through them to get to us… You don't think…anyone was hurt… right?"

Draco sighed and dropped his head, not looking at the sky nor the brunette. "Look, Death Eaters may be merciless, but they're not stupid. If they want their target, they'll charge through a crowd like a rampaging bull to get to them. But they won't kill everyone carelessly. They wouldn't waste their magic on pathetic mud bloods in their way; they would just shove 'em away. If someone were to raise a wand at them, then they would knock 'em down."

"Isn't that what happened?" Harry said, his breath shaking slightly. "Everyone stood up with their wands…To fight him… He didn't…"

"He didn't kill us when we looked like mudbloods, did he?" Draco almost snapped. He would've sounded harsher but the cold seemed to have numbed most of his anger. "It shows Death Eaters don't kill carelessly. Trust me, I know… I used to be one…"

Harry went quiet for a minute. He looked around them at the tall wooden fence surrounding the inn and back at the warm, bright building. He walked back to it as if he was going to inside, but stopped by the doors. "So… they don't care?"

"No," he answered bluntly.

Harry took in a trembling breath, not sure if his first question had been answered or not. "Is that.. why you turned me into a girl?" He asked quickly.

Draco seemed to flinch. "That's different…"

Harry leaned against the wall, the door a little bit to the right, and his hands at his sides. The air was tingling almost, a sense of discovery and danger was lurking all over. It was if it was causing a large storm and they were at the center, where it was the most calm and most dangerous. Completely cloaked in blackness, he lowered his eyes to the ground and asked in the clearest voice he said all day, "Then why'd you kiss me?"

The silence finally took over. Only the ruffle of nearby leaves filled the air with a wicked hissing sound. Neither spoke after that and they both stood motionless for a while. The air was cold, time was freezing to a stop, and every breath was numbing every part in their body. Finally, Draco turned to Harry and barely saw his outline against the wall. He was a plain black figure with dim, pale flashes of moonlight dancing across his body and face. When the brunette raised his head, Draco saw the glint of light flicker off his glasses.

He slowly approached him, every step more cautious than the one before. He pulled to a stop in front of him and it was as if they were magnets, slowly trying to pull together, but push apart at the same time. In such darkness, neither boy could see clearly, but they could tell they were staring at each other. The moment was like a disguise, just because they couldn't see each other meant that all the danger was removed, letting them carelessly do what they so desired without even knowing it.

As slow as could be, Draco leaned into Harry, pausing when their faces got to close. Their hearts raced and thudded hard against their chests. Now every breath was condensing in the air and mixing with the other's, like a sign to move closer. Their eyes stayed locked for a long moment, before glancing down, and then they shut. Draco simply inched forward once more, Harry lifted his head up to meet him, and their lips just touched. A soft kiss that sent chills colder than the night around them down their bodies.

It was nerve-wracking, but unbelievably settling to be caught up in such a mess. To be so lost in what to do, what to say to one another; to reside so easily next to each other after all the conflicts they faced against each other. It was frightening and delightful at the same time. They were resting in shadows and the only way out was to be immersed into the daylight. Yet neither boy wished for the sun to rise. They both unknowingly wanted to submerge into the darkness together and reside from the anger, the hate, and such a bloody life…

_In the next chapter, what happens when the fire between Draco and Harry is drowned in water? The Death Eaters finally get a hand on Harry when they catch up and the option to run are getting slimmer._

**Okay hopefully this didn't take too long to update. Review and tell me what you think please. I'll take any advice or suggestions bcuz im only a beginner on this site x) Till my next update!**


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